The Bendickson Family

The County Fair

2012-08-08T01:10:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking of getting a t-shirt that says, "I Survived the County Fair". Mind you, this was not my first county fair. I grew up wandering through the Pennington County Fair, picking plastic ducks out of the water, and riding the Music Fest. The fair holds a special memory for Rich and I because 28 years ago we had our very first date...and we went...you guessed it...to the county fair. We rode the Zipper and danced at the Grandsand Jam. I've been to the county fair.

But never like this. Taking two families, two horses, four goats, a couple dogs plus everything you need to care for all of them to the fair…for five days…is a whole other experience. It takes planning and endurance…not to mention a trailer, a camper, and a couple pick ups. And don’t forget the “show clothes”. I’m still not sure how it all came together, but it did.

Thankfully, we were parked next to the Wright County Fair Extraordinaire – our dear friend Cristine who has been doing this fair since 1981 – that’s 31 years of experience. We couldn’t have done it without her…thank you Cristine and the rest of the Nielsen gang!

Now let me tell you…a lot more goes into the fair than I ever imagined. I know this post is far too long, so read what you want and let the rest go, but I simply can’t help myself. I must recap the week. For those of you who know what it takes to show animals at the fair, this will be review. For all you city slickers out there, this may give you a glimpse (from a rookie’s point of view) of what goes on behind the scenes in order for you to stroll through the fair barns and actually have live animals to look at.

Friday (before the fair): Haul goats to Cristine’s to tattoo their ears so they can be properly identified. Learn how to show a goat. Just another example of how helpful those Nielsen’s are when it comes to goats.

Saturday/Sunday/Monday (before the fair): Bathe and shave goats, bathe and trim horse, bathe and groom dog. Shop for and prepare enough food for five days. Yes, you read that right…shave goats. It takes about two hours for a newbie (that would be Ashley) to shave a goat for the fair. We have four goats…you do the math. That’s a lot of hours buzzing goat hair.

Tuesday: Pack camper, haul it out the fairgrounds, and park it in a field with no water, no electricity, and no shade and about 300 yards from a public restroom. I know I may be a bit spoiled by all the luxurious campgrounds we stayed at while we were gallivanting around the country in a motorhome…but seriously…the grass was the sharpest, pokiest, stuff I’ve ever seen. It hurt to wear flip-flops. Was it cut hay or something? And we backed up to a corn field that doubled as a male latrine.

Wednesday: Pack barn including animals, hay, feed, tack, milking stand, muck cart, etc. into a horse trailer, two pick up beds, and a small SUV. Get animals into their stalls, set up the camper and take a pack of tweenager boys to a “Combine Derby”. Milk goats. Crash.

Thursday: Get up a 4:30 am to milk goats so their udders are “tight” for the show. Try to get back to sleep before getting up again at 6:30 am to get ready for the “Egg and Spoon” horse competition that starts at 8 am. Wash all the goats and shave their udders so they are ready for the 6:00 goat show. Watch the kids show their goats…and win ribbons…and state trips…and have a ball!

To tell you the truth, I cannot keep track of what all Ashley won because I’m still learning the lingo. I know it was Reserve Grand Champion (meaning 2^nd place) in market goat (Einstein) showmanship. Daisy (our baby girl) won Champion Junior Doe. And Nellie (our Alpine yearling milking doe) was wonderful enough to win a trip to the State Fair! The show finished about 10:30 pm…just in time to milk the goats.

Ashley and Abigail with their "market goats" - Einstein and Mopsy

After two days of dirt, sweat, and grime, I was finally willing to endure a public shower at the insane hour of 11:30 pm while being seranaded by a way-too-loud 80's band named "Hairball" playing at the Grandstand. After a refreshingly cool shower, I walked back to the camper and talked Ashley into taking one too…so off we go through the pokey grass at midnight to take a cold shower.

Friday: Up at 5:30 am, put Ashley’s hair in a bun, put on the fancy horse clothes, and get to the horse barn for the 4H horse show that begins at 8 am. Ashley got Reserve Champion (2^nd place) in showmanship and thought she was done for a few hours. She went to milk the goats, but just had a feeling…and decided to check on the horse show to see where they were at…and found out she was supposed to be in the ring again for showmanship in just a few minutes (this is what happens to rookies). She sprinted back to the camper, frantically changed into her show clothes while her dear friend Delaney (who had just laid down for a nap) flew out the door and raced to the horse barn to get the halter on Joe (the horse). As Ashley was running away she yelled at me to bring her hat…so I grabbed it out of the car and began the first leg of a relay race running through pokey grass in flip-flops all the way to the goat barn where I handed off the baton to Isaac Neilsen who took the hat the rest of the way. Yes, we made it in time.

Ashley on Joe; Delaney on Gazon.

Spent the rest of the day back and forth from the camper to the horse arena. Clipped Macie’s nails to be ready for dog show. A storm was brewing so we brought the tweenager boys inside the camper instead of the tent. Our camper, with three queen beds plus the dinette and the couch, housed nine people that night…all with beds…nobody on the floor.

Saturday: Ahhh…the weekend…time to sleep in. Oh no you don’t! The dog show starts at 8 am. We got up late…and it’s suddenly COLD outside. We’ve been sweating it out for days and now we’re bundling up searching for sweatshirts and hot chocolate, but there is none to be found. Delaney and her dog, Titus, swept the competition taking 1^st place in showmanship, rally, and obedience. Way to go, Delaney!

On the other hand, Macie was...well...distracted. She got a blue ribbon, but her heart wasn’t in it.

On Saturday afternoon, Robin, Cristine and I actually sat outside under the awning in lawn chairs and had chips and salsa and guacamole for a few minutes. Sitting was a rare occasion!

Then came the tough choice…go to the State Fair…or not. It was not an easy decision, but in the end, Ashley decided that, though she thoroughly enjoyed the fair, she has other things she wants to accomplish this summer…and so she made the tough decision to decline the trip.

Then we were off and running again…had visitors and watched the horse show – penning or cutting or something like that and enjoyed a beautiful evening.

Sunday: Got up and took another shower…and it was hot this time…praise God! Packed up the camper and had a little time to walk around before our shift at the 4H Food Stand from 2-6 pm. We got the animals ready to go, loaded them into the trailer/pickup, cleaned the horse stalls, and left the fairgrounds at 8 pm.

Went home and unloaded everything. The horses were literally running around the pasture and rolling in the grass! Five days in a stall is not their cuppa tea. They’re never in a stall. Daisy and Einstein (baby goats) were playing and head butting – clearly happy to be home. And we were too.

In the midst of all the preparations, the packing, the hauling, the late nights and early mornings, the shows and the long walk to the bathroom…we all agreed…we’d do it again in a heartbeat. It was an experience we’ll never forget.

What comes to mind in all of this is the treasure of friendships. The fair wouldn’t hold the same appeal if we hadn’t done it with friends. It’s the shared experiences we have the people we love that makes a lifetime of memories worth remembering.

If this blog post was being written up in small town newspaper in the early 1900’s, it would end something like this:

“A good time was had by all”.

Yes, indeed.

Growing...

2012-07-20T01:32:00.002-05:00

Everything is growing like crazy around here!

First, I better back up...it's been two months since our last post. In addition to the two baby boy goats (Einstein and Mr. Tumnus), Betsy gave birth to a baby girl named Daisy. Read more about the baby goats on Ashley's new blog. They are growing like crazy! And so is our milk supply! Nellie and Betsy each produce a gallon of milk a day.

Rich built and planted a beautiful raised bed garden this spring and it is now growin like crazy too! The cucumbers and zucchini are currently keeping us busy...zucchini bread, zucchini pancakes, and our favorite...zucchini brownies.

And let's not forget Jake's 55 chicks who are now looking more like teenagers than babies! In fact, they should start laying eggs in about a month or so. We have now moved them into the Chicken Palace with our original ten hens. The RV was great for the toddler season, but we quickly realized it wasn't going to cut it. So...we'll be remodeling the palace to accomodate the new flock. For now, they sleep under the stars in the enclosed run on temporary roost bars.

On another note, Ashley and Jake have been growing like crazy in the way of musical theater performing in two productions this spring/summer. Ashley played the step-mother and Jake was a citizen of the kingdom in Cindarella .

Jake played Tommy and Ashley was Eulalie in The Music Man . So fun!

Thanks to Grandma Lana, Rich and I were able to attend The Reformation of Food and Family Conference in San Antonio, TX, last weekend. What a blessing to be with 1,500 Christians who are excited about growing and eating the food that God created to nourish our bodies and our families.

It's been about one year since we moved to the country. Today, we received our "Minneosta Farm Bureau" membership cards. I just had to chuckle. (I'm sure there are a few of you who are downright laughing:-) What a difference a year makes. A lot can happen. A lot can change. We've gone from suburbanites to wandering RV'ers to hobby farmers in just a few short years. And through it all, God has been growing many things within each of us - hopefully a bountiful harvest of the fruit of the Spirit.

And may each of you have the same abundant harvest in your life as you travel the journey God sets before you.

Chicken RV

2012-05-09T00:11:00.001-05:00

First, I just have to share the latest photo of the baby chick born yesterday. Is that not just the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Bon Bon and her baby chick

And now...if you recall, Jake ordered 55 chicks this spring to start his egg business. They arrived looking like the newborn chick above...and now, as you can see, just five weeks later they look like, well, teenagers and they are ready for the great outdoors!

The chicken palace simply isn't big enough for everyone, so Jake and Rich designed and built a "chicken tractor" - which is basically a mobile chicken coop - or to put it in Joel Salitan terms: an egg-mobile. The plan is to move the tractor around the yard/pasture so the hens can have fresh grass and eat bugs to their hearts content - and thus provide us and others with super nutritious pastured eggs. And so, let me present to you...The Chicken Tractor....

This mobile coop has 16 beautiful nest boxes with a door that lifts up in the back to gather the eggs. It also comes complete with roosting bars and a predator-proof hardware cloth floor in addition to wheels that flip down when it needs to be moved. The solar powered electric netting fence you see in the background keeps the chickens safe during the day as they free-range around the yard. At night they go into the coop to roost and sleep, safe and sound.

Here's what the coop looks like inside:

Jake and Rich did a beautiful job, put in many long hours, and learned alot in the process which will come in handy since they need to build another one. One is fine for now, but as the chickens grow they will need more room to spread their wings...and lay their eggs. This may not be quite like the backyard palace our original flocks inhabits, but then again, we're sort of into the RV thing, ya know :-) If we can do it, so can our birds!

Speaking of RV's...we sold our big motorhome and bought a spiffy little camper on Criagslist that will serve us nicely for weekend trips - and more importantly - the county fair...but that's another story for another day.

Another Bendickson Baby

2012-05-07T23:28:00.001-05:00

Another new little life made its way into the world today!

New baby chick emerging from shell

Bon Bon and Buttercup brooding their eggs

As you can see, we now have TWO broody hens. When Bon Bon "went broody", she climbed into the next box with Buttercup and tried to sit on the eggs too. So Jake moved some of the eggs to another box and she's been happily brooding them ever since. In fact, Bon Bon got the honor of having the first chick hatch.

They are sitting on about 18-20 eggs total. Given the fact that we only supplied them with 9 fertile eggs, there is bound to be some dissapointment in the nesting box. Hopefully we see a few more feathered friends pecking their way into the world tomorrow. We left the baby with its mama all snug and cozy and cute.

More chicken news to come tomorrow...those 55 chicks are now looking more like teenagers...stay tuned!

A day in the life of a homeschooling mom

2012-04-17T23:53:00.000-05:00

A couple days ago one of our Buff Orpington hens "went broody". Another new term for this wanna-be farm girl to learn. Of course, my 12 year old educated me. It means the hen is sitting on eggs...all day...just sitting there in the nest box trying to "brood" two eggs. The problem is they will never hatch. Why? Because we don't have a rooster.

The next day Jake devises a plan: Let's get some fertile eggs so she can sit on eggs that WILL hatch. "Please mom? Please?" Well, let's see, we have 10 full grown chickens living in a chicken palace. And 55 two-week-old chicks living in our shop with no where to go...yet. The last thing we need is more chickens. But how can we pass up an opportunity to witness a mother hen hatching eggs right in our backyard? How can we deny her an opportunity to have fruit for all her labor? Yes, we must get some fertile eggs.

So, I tell Jake...if you want to get some eggs, you'll need to email Jack at True Cost Farm and ask him if we can come out and get some eggs this morning (after all, this isn't just a science experiment, it's got writing lesson written all over it too.) So Jake emails Jack and out we go to get eggs.

Jack and his brother-in-law were incredibly gracious - even showed us how to "candle" the eggs to look for cracks. When we got home, Jake stole the infertile eggs right out from under Buttercup and replaced them with 9 beautiful fertile eggs. If all goes well, we may have some brand new babies to watch in about 21 days.

And, perhaps, we will have a bird's eye view to see more of who God really is as we witness how this mother interacts with her chicks...just like Jesus said in Matthew 23:37 ...how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings...

Thank you, Lord, for the unique opportunities you provide for us to learn about You. And thank you for the sense of wonder you put within each of us that draws us to discover more about the world you created. Amen.

Introducing Ashley's new blog!

2012-04-08T21:19:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone...just want to let you know that Ashley started a blog called Square Root Farms and posted her first entry today. Check it out at: http://www.squarerootfarms.blogspot.com/

Also, if you're interested in learning how to make a simple whole wheat loaf of bread, I just posted an entry on my Cafe Diasozo blog with a video that we made back in our RV days. Here's the link: http://cafediasozo.blogspot.com/

And finally...my sister and I got to celebrate with our Grandma Gustie last week - she's 100 years young and still going strong! Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Baby Chicks

2012-04-03T00:37:00.000-05:00

At 6:30 am on Saturday the phone rang. It was the post office calling to inform us that "our chicks are in." No sleeping in today! Jake has been looking forward to this for many weeks. He researched the breeds and placed his order and finally the day arrived! Would you like to see what a box of 54 chicks (with 14 different breeds) looks like?

Eggs anyone? If you live in the area and would like to buy all natural pasture-raised eggs when the hens start laying next fall, just let us know. Jake is starting an egg business.

On a side note...still waiting for Betsy to have her baby goat...sometime this week!

New Babies!

2012-03-29T23:28:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone...spring is here and after hibernating all winter it's time for an update! I was planning to send a blog post titled "We're Expecting" figuring it would probably get your attention, but lo and behold our babies arrived TODAY so I guess I'm sending a birth announcement instead. So...without further ado...I would like to introduce the newest members of the Bendickson family...

Two adorable baby alpine goats were born this morning (March 29, 2012) about 11:50 am right here at the farm. At about 11:00, Ashley and Jake came in to tell me they thought Nellie was about to go into labor based on her tendons (in her behind) loosening up and the "goo" coming out. Our friend, Cristine, our resident goat expert, just happened to be in the neighborhood and she stopped by to confirm that yes, the goats will be born today. Fifty minutes later Ashley, Jake, and I witnessed the birth of two baby boys born about 5 minutes apart. We have not named them yet. Mom and the boys are all doing well snuggled up in the barn tonight. Stay tuned...Betsy is due next week!

Well, well, well...

2011-11-21T20:13:00.000-06:00

Country living has so many new aspects including, well...a WELL. On Friday, we were running water outside to fill up the horse tank and the water was, well, black. Ewwww!! So we let it run awhile and it eventually cleared up. However, the water pressure wasn't working very well...very low both outside - and inside (read as "no shower since Friday").

So, I'm telling a friend about this on Saturday while we're eating lunch at Chipotle and who do you think walks in? Our plumber! So I ran the situation by him and he recommended we call our "well guy", to which I replied, "Who is our well guy?" Both my friend and my plumber recommended the same "guy" so we called him today. He took a look at the pressure gauge and said, "We need to pull it up." So out they went. When they pulled it up, they found a pipe was completely corroded and leaking. They fixed the pipe and also put in a new pump so we are back in business!

And now the really exciting news...they are coming back in two weeks to run a water line to the barn! This is going to be incredibly wonderful given that the only current way to fill the water tanks is to run a hose from the house...not so fun in a MN winter! Just in time for one more animal friend who is coming to live with us soon...stay tuned :-)

The Chicken Palace

2011-11-08T22:06:00.001-06:00

So...we've been "winterizing" the chicken coop. Perhaps "remodeling" would be more descriptive. Ok, let's be real...our chickens now live in a palatial chicken palace. Ready for the before and after?

Before...

This is BEFORE. It was a little unnerving knowing the previous owners of our home lost their ten chickens when a pack of coyotes dug under the fence. So we've been a bit nervous with the flimsy chicken wire.

Another issue was that the box where the chickens slept at night (to be safe) was too small for them to be cooped up in all winter. We also needed a heater (ok, "need" is probably a bit strong...we thought a heater would be wonderful for our beloved birds) and a light so the birds will continue to bless us with their egg-cellent eggs throughout the winter. And, the ceiling had low hanging beams that were always bumping into. Oh so many opportunities for improvement!

Enter...Brennen and his father Jerry! The dynamic duo who remodeled the Super-8 into the Ritz-Carlton!

These two professional craftsmen usually work on kitchens and basements. I told them they should start billing themselves as "Kitchens and Coops" after the bang up job they did in the Bendickson backyard.

Check this out...

Now THAT's a chicken coop! Isn't it beautiful?! I can't wait to add window boxes in the spring. And don't you just love the little chicken door?

Come on inside...

The birds are loving their nifty new nest boxes:-)

And when the temperatures start dipping down, they will appreciate their "Sweeter Heater"...

Much safer than a traditional heat lamp. AND, it is plugged into a "Thermocube" (you learn all kinds of things when you start poking around :-). A Thermocube looks like a powerstrip, but it has a built-in thermostat which will turn the heater on when it gets down to 20 degrees...and off again when it hits 30.

They even got rid of those nasty head-banging beams so we can walk in without knocking ourselves out:-)

That's the latest. The goats are growing babies (hopefully) due April 3rd and 5th. The chickens have a beautiful winter home. And Joe, the horse, has adjusted to Ashley's plan to whip him into shape.

That's what's happening in our neck of the woods...how about you?

Never say never

2011-11-04T22:23:00.000-05:00

I did something yesterday that I said I'd never do. I know other people do it. And I don't blame them for it. I just didn't think I ever would.

I put a goat in my car. (Yes, Sarah, I did it.)

Why? Because one of our goats (Nellie) was in heat and that calls for desperate measures. Well, not really. One has 48 hours or so to load up the goat and bring it to the buck...if you want babies in the spring, that is. And we do. So we did.

Meet the buck. He will be the dad to our babies. His name is Stone. And he stinks. Really bad.

If all went well, Nellie is due April 3, 2012.

We are gearing up for round two tomorrow...this time it's Betsy's turn to ride in the car and visit the stinky boy. And this time it's Rich's turn to do the driving :-)

Mystery stain

2011-10-24T21:39:00.000-05:00

So, I noticed Ashley had a stain on her jacket.
Anyone want to guess what this is?

Ok, now this was a new one.
It just never happened in suburbia.
But it happened here in hobby farm-ville.

This is what happens when you put an egg in your pocket and forget to take it out and it gets smashed all over the inside of your pocket.

Lovely.

Thank God for washing machines :-)

Remembering Anastasia

2011-10-06T23:59:00.001-05:00

Anastasia, age 2, died suddenly Wednesday night for no apparent reason. She was a good bird, an excellent egg-layer, and a leader of her flock. In fact, she was at the top of the pecking order. Was there a coup in the coop? We may never know what transpired that night. All we know is she filed into the coop with the rest of the flock on Wednesday evening, but by Thursday morning she was...well...dead. Arrangements have been made with Randy's Sanitation. A short service was held outside the coop with all flockmates in attendance. For more information, please watch the following interview with the farmer who discovered poor Anastasia.

Introducing...Joe

2011-09-25T21:50:00.001-05:00

The latest tally:

11 chickens

2 cats

2 goats

1 dog

1 horse
Yes, as of today, we now have a handsome 17 year old quarter horse named Joe who came to us from a friend who was incredibly gracious to bless us with their very first horse. (They now have several more). Joe is a very gentle gelding and, as you can imagine, Ashley is head-over-heels about him already. Joe is hanging out with the goats and they seem to be getting along so far.

On another note, my 99 ½ year old Grandma Gustie was down to visit this week. She enjoyed meeting all the animals. So good to see her, my aunt, my cousin, and my sister on Friday night.

As of last weekend, we have entered yet another new season. We traded in our mini-van for...a pick up! Now we can "haul stuff". Can you even imagine?

Life has changed a lot in the three months since we moved from suburbia to a more rural setting. We feel incredibly blessed to live in this beautiful place and to care for these unique animals. God always seems to be providing opportunities for us to grow. What new adventure is He inviting you to experience? Leave a comment...we'd love to hear about it!

Goodness, gracious...now its...goats!

2011-09-03T17:29:00.001-05:00

As of today, the Bendickson barnyard is now home to 16 animals. One dog, two cats, eleven chickens...and two Alpine goats! These two sweet babies were born this spring at the Stone farm and they've been saving them for us until today. We finally got our fence "goat-proofed" - if there is such a thing. Believe it or not, it actually takes more voltage to keep goats than a bull! They've been here for five hours now and so far, so good :-)

Macie's not sure what to think...

Oh, and we went to the State Fair this week too. I know most people love to eat cheese curds and deep-fried anything, but we just haven't developed a taste for such delicacies. So, we're overjoyed that French Meadow (one of our favorite organic restaurants) has a beautiful place right there are the great MN get-together. Egg Croissant Sandwiches and mini-scones! It doesn't get any better than this :-)

The chickens are doing well, but they are not laying much at the moment. Molting, perhaps? Hopefully the seven younger ones will kick it into gear pretty soon. There's a chill in the air and school starts next week...but we're hanging on to summer for as long as we can.

The chicken or the egg?

2011-07-31T16:57:00.000-05:00

What came first the chicken or the egg? In our case it was the chicken. Or perhaps I should say "chickens". Hold on to your hats folks - yesterday we got chickens. Eleven of them to be exact. And today we have three beautiful eggs!

We significantly increased our animal population in one fell swoop! On Friday we got a call from our friend Patsy who was keeping a flock of backyard chickens. Unfortunately, one of her neighbors complained (it’s a long sad story) and the chickens had to go…on Saturday. So we mowed down the weeds in our chicken run (thank you Fraser kids for all your help!), swept out the coop, and on Saturday we adopted 11 chickens!

We have four two-year-olds referred to as "the big girls". Anastasia, Penelope, and Repunzle each lay an egg each day. Clara, well, she just eats bugs :-)

The "little girls" are 12 weeks old and will start laying in a month or two.

Whew! We were planning to have chickens…next spring. But there’s no time like the present. Isn’t that just the way it goes? Our timing is often not God’s timing. But His timing is perfect, so here we go!

The kids are LOVING these birds!!

We're working on the coop...

The adventure continues...

Green Acres

2011-07-17T19:06:00.001-05:00

Milestones.

23 years ago we got married.
14 years ago we became parents.
3 years ago we hit the road in a motorhome.
1 week ago we moved to the country.

Yes, you read that right. Two small town kids (emphasis on town) who spent 23 years in suburbia (except for the two years in the RV) have embarked on a new adventure complete with septic system, well water, barn, pastures, chicken coop, garden, orchard, vineyard, and yes, a farm house. Well, maybe “farm” is a bit of a stretch. It’s 5 acres, our driveway comes off a cul-du-sec, and there’s a paved bike trail across the road. Our orchard has three apple trees (so far). Our vineyard one vine (plus a bunch of wild grapes), and our farm house…well, its not exactly “vintage. ” However, we’ve already tripled our animal population. Macie now has two very sweet barn cat friends: Callie and Johnny. Callie (on right) is the mom and she’s blind. Johnny (on the left) is her son. We inherited our rodent extermination team from the previous owners.

Ashley’s been busy cleaning the barn. (Stay tuned for what will eventually inhabit said barn).

Jake is breaking in the basketball hoop.

Rich is mowing (the rider arrived on Tuesday).

And I am attempting to restore order to a house filled with boxes of “stuff” while marveling at the wide open countryside, listening to the birds sing, and thanking God for blessing us with such a beautiful place to be.

Our neighbors brought us brownies.

Grandpa and Grandma worked like crazy helping us weed the garden (in 95 degree heat).

Fresh raspberries from the garden...

Life is good.

Heaven is for Real

2011-06-03T23:37:00.000-05:00

It’s been three months since our last post. In that time, we’ve had the joy of celebrating my mom’s life – twice. First in Maple Grove where she lived for the last 20 years, and then in our hometown in northern MN where she was born, and raised, and raised a family. It was a joy to be there to honor my mom with her mom (my 99-year-old grandmother), as well as my mom’s two sisters, extended family, and friends. Her ashes are now buried right next to my dad just as they should be.

In May, we took a road trip which gave us an opportunity to read a book aloud together in the car called “Heaven is for Real.” It’s a true story about a young boy (3) who had an emergency appendectomy and while he was in surgery, he visited heaven. I know it may sound far-fetched, but as the details unfold, it becomes very clear that this boy had an amazing supernatural experience. It starts a little slow, but stick with it and you won’t be able to put it down. Suffice to say, it is incredibly exciting to know that my mom and dad are now in heaven, enjoying life together with Jesus for eternity. For Christians, there is no fear in death with heaven on the horizon. Want to be encouraged? Read this book!

Have you ever visited the Creation Museum in Kentucky? What a blessing to experience a museum that teaches the truth that life was created on purpose by a loving God. How wonderful to hear all of the scientific evidence for Noah’s flood. And how encouraging to know that science lines up with scripture! Evolutionary theory is a huge tragedy because it devalues life. If all I am is evolved pond scum, what value do I have? But if I am a unique person, created in the image of God to love and be loved, hmmm…that is completely different. Suddenly life is valuable, worth living, and exciting!

There are some new adventures brewing here at the Bendickson house. Let’s just say we’re in purging and packing mode again. The details aren’t nailed down, so stay tuned as the journey continues. There are a few hints in the slide show in case you’re curious :-)

My Mom is with Jesus

2011-02-25T14:49:00.000-06:00

My dear sweet mom is now dancing on streets of gold. No more pain. No more suffering. I stayed with her at the hospital on Wednesday night. After sleeping a couple hours, I was up holding her hand again at 4:30 am. I read Psalm 23 and annointed her head with oil. She went peacefully to be with Jesus early Thursday morning.

Carole Yvonne Grovum of Maple Grove, MN, died Thursday at the age of 70 after a year-long battle with cancer. She was born in Thief River Falls, MN, where she graduated from high school, was married, and raised her family. She and her husband, Wally, owned The Club Café and worked together until his death in 1986. She then relocated to the Twin Cities to be near her two daughters. Carole worked as an insurance agent for many years prior to her retirement in 2005. Carole was a loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She lived life to the full and her smile was contagious. Her grandchildren were her pride and joy. They loved riding around with her in her notorious yellow bug. She was preceded in death by husband, Wally; father, Henry Thorson & brother, Miles Thorson. Survived by children: Connie (Rich) Bendickson & Vickie (Steve) Woehrle; grandchildren: Ashley, Jake & Ellie; mother, Gustie Thorson; sisters: Olive Eckstein & Annabelle (Jim) Sullins.

A celebration of Carole’s life will be held at Kozlak-Radulovich Funeral Chapel in Maple Grove (13745 Reimer Dr.) on Monday, February 28, from 4:30-7:00 PM with a service at 6 PM. A memorial service will also be held in Thief River Falls this spring.

Thank you for praying!

2011-01-22T20:33:00.000-06:00

Just a quick update to THANK YOU all for praying for my mom these last couple days. She was in surgery for five hours and the surgeon said it went very well. She is in Intensive Care until Monday, but she is doing incredibly well - talking, eating, moving her arms and legs, and sat up all day today in a recliner. She has no pain and isn't even taking pain medication! She's in great spirits joking around with the nurses and looking forward to getting home (hopefully Wednesday). I attribute all of this good news to the incredible power of prayer. Thank you so much!

This is a picture of my mom in her hospital gown before she was wheeled into the operating room.

Prayer...

2011-01-20T23:59:00.000-06:00

It’s been three months since we moved out of the RV and into this house. Everything felt very spread out at first – too big – like a young boy putting on his father’s suit with the arms and legs way too wide and way too long. But we have adjusted and are really enjoying entertaining friends and family. We are grateful to be living in such a beautiful place and so blessed to be close to my mom who has been battling lung cancer for almost a year now.

She was diagnosed last February, went through chemo and radiation last spring, and has been feeling well and enjoying life. Last week, however, after enduring a headache that lasted for two weeks straight, we discovered that the cancer has spread to her brain and there is a golf ball-size tumor in her cerebellum. The doctors are astounded that she isn’t having problems with coordination given the size and location of the tumor. We would very much appreciate your healing prayers as she is scheduled for surgery this Friday (January 21). Thank you for praying with us.

In the midst of a season filled with many unknowns, there’s a song on our hearts that overflows with praise and thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever!!

Café Diasozo

2011-01-09T21:33:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Just a quick note to invite you to the grand opening of Cafe Diasozo - my new health blog. Check it out at www.cafediasozo.blogspot.com/

Wishing you a happy and healthy new year!

Margin

2010-11-19T21:52:00.000-06:00

Margin. It’s word I’ve been contemplating lately. I remember when I wrote a book a few years back and friend kindly told me that I didn’t need to fill every page full. She said it’s good to have some white space – some margin. That comment stuck with me.

Living in the RV was an experience living outside the culture in many ways. One thing that hit me as we entered back into suburban life is the lack of margin in people’s lives. People are just plain busy. And I do mean busy. Crazy busy, in fact. On the road, it was a different story. We barely needed a calendar. Life was lived in the moment. We rarely planned more than a week ahead of time. Not that I’d want to live my whole life without something penciled in. But I do miss the pace of life on the road. It was slower. Simpler.

Back to margin. Why do we pack things so full? Schedule too tight? Run ourselves ragged? Join too many things? Say yes when we should of said no? One reason, perhaps, is because we see it as normal. I think I did too…until I got a taste of life with margin. Margin allows time for the unexpected, the unanticipated, and the important. It grants time for things that get lost in the shuffle without it. Like reading, for example. How in the world did Ashley and Jake read over 35 books a piece last year – not to mention the 17 we read together? We had margin.

So I’m really trying to be intentional on how we move back into life. I’m being cautious about what I commit to. I don’t want to get sucked back into the rat race. I want a healthy rhythm of life. Just now a Brian Regan comedy bit is coming to mind. If you have enough margin, I highly recommend taking three minutes to laugh yourself silly. If you don’t, you may be “bookin’ yourself too tight”.

A house without wheels...

2010-11-13T17:18:00.000-06:00

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. Within the last month, we drove to Oklahoma (and back) to store our RV for the winter; moved out of the RV, into my mom’s (for a week), and then into a house; spent a week in California, threw two birthday parties, and the list goes on. And suddenly, we’ve gone from fall to winter in the blink of an eye.

But back to the moving. Two weeks before we were supposed to move into a townhome, our plans fell through. We really loved the place, but trusted that God must have something better. Back up a minute: Last summer the kids and I stumbled upon a neighborhood we absolutely loved. We stopped to see the model and shared our story with the agent…”We’re not really looking for a house…we live in a motorhome…but this is really a beautiful neighborhood…” Well, guess what? The very same day the townhouse fell through, we got back on Craig’s List and a new listing had just come on the market. And guess what? It was a house in that beautiful neighborhood! And guess what? We are now living here! Praise God! He gave us more than we could ask or imagine!

It still feels strange to have so much space. Everything is so spread out and we can go for hours without seeing each other. But it is such a blessing to be here! Rich has an office, the kids have bedrooms, and I have a gourmet kitchen. What a gift…we are so very grateful we get to live here for a season. Thank you, Lord!

Speaking of seasons…yesterday it was fall. Today it is winter. Really winter. Like six inches of snow winter. And we’re loving it…the trees are gorgeous all dressed in white.

People are asking if we’re going to keep blogging even though we are no longer in the RV. The answer is yes. Life is a journey no matter where you live. And though we no longer travel full-time, we are still committed to following Him wherever He leads.

If You lead me Lord I will follow.
Where You lead me Lord I will go.

For Sale

2010-10-03T20:37:00.000-05:00

It’s been two years since we set sail on the journey of a lifetime. Twenty-five states, 20,000 miles, 24 months. Our children have seen more of this country before they hit high school than most people do in a lifetime. Our family spent more time together in the past two years than many do in 18 years. We’ve learned how to live with less. We’ve learned to get along with each other (most of the time :-) Our faith grew. We gained new perspectives. We experienced a slower pace of life. Our kids became more creative. We learned to bake bread. We met new people. We discovered history everywhere. We hiked. We biked. We toured. We played tennis and Quiddler and Scrabble and Risk. And made memories we will cherish forever.

Number of videos watched while driving: zero

Number of miles driven by Connie: zero

Regrets: zero

We’d do it again in a heartbeat. But the seasons are changing. The leaves are displaying their brilliant colors and the Bendickson’s are bracing themselves for their first Minnesota winter in two years. Yes, we are moving into a house again. And…we’re putting the RV up for sale…so if you know a family who is called to take a radical leap of faith, please tell them about our well-cared-for home on wheels.

2007 Newmar All-Star 4154. 42 feet. Sleeps 8. Queen in master. Two bunks. Corian countertops. Excellent condition. 24,000 miles. $135,000.

More pictures? Click here.